How Credit History Affects Car Insurance

Understanding how your credit history may affect your car insurance coverage!

Many personal auto insurance companies consider your credit information when determining how much premium to charge for your insurance. So if you are calling around for new insurance, keep in mind that many insurers are looking at your credit history. I hope that we will be able to let you know why and how they do this.

The reason that some insurance companies use credit information is because there is a direct correlation between consumer's credit history behaviors and expected claims that may occur. Therefore, they feel that people with better credit behavior are less likely to have severe insurance losses.

The companies that do use credit scoring will still use other factors in determining your premium. They will also use your age, driving history, type of vehicle, where you live in determining how much you should pay for your insurance. Therefore, if you have not established a credit history yet, the companies that use credit history may not be best for you. They may not allow you to be eligible for certain discounts, which could result in higher premiums.

Is it fair for an insurance company even look at my credit information without my permission? The answer is yes. The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act says "Reasonable procedures. It is the purpose of this title to require that consumer reporting agencies adopt reasonable procedures for meeting the needs of commerce for consumer credit, personnel, insurance, and other information in a manner which is fair and equitable to the consumer, with regard to the confidentiality, accuracy, relevancy, and proper utilization of such information in accordance with the requirements of this title." Found at http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fcra.htm
If you feel that your credit history is better then the insurer can find, make sure the insurer has your correct name, address, social security number, and date of birth.

Some insurance companies will look directly at your actual credit reports when determining your rate, however most will use what is called an "insurance credit score." An insurance credit score is developed by using statistical techniques and methods to predict the likelihood a consumer will have a higher than anticipated loss. These are similar to what lenders use to predict the reliability of an applicant repaying a loan.
Insurance companies use many factors in determining your credit score. Here are some examples of those factors:

• Public records: bankruptcy, collections, foreclosures, liens, charge-offs, etc.
• Past payment history: the number and frequency of late payments and the days between the due date and late payment date.
• Length of credit history: the amount of time you have been in the credit system.
• Inquiries for credit: the number of times you have recently applied for new credit, including mortgage loans, utility accounts, and credit card accounts.
• Number of open lines of credit: the number of credit cards, whether you use them or not.
• Type of credit in use: major credit cards, store credit cards, finance company loans, etc.
• Unused credit: how much you owe compared to how much credit is available to you.

Your insurance credit score may differ from company to company, as they will use different factors in determining your premium. Notice that we call it an insurance credit score. This means that it encompasses many factors including credit.

Since each insurance company uses different techniques to determine your credit score it is hard to tell you what a good credit score is. Usually a good credit score will result in lower premiums.

Your agent or company is not obligated to tell you your credit score. In fact, they might not even know what it is. All they usually know is that your credit score qualifies you for a specific rate or policy. Some companies also offer better rates under each qualifying tier.

If you feel that there is incorrect information on your credit report, you should tell the credit bureau. If you report an error, the credit bureau must investigate the error and get back to you within 30 days. You can ask the credit bureau to send a notice of the correction to any creditor or insurer that has checked your file in the past six months. Once the errors are corrected, it is a good idea to get a new copy of your credit report several months later to make sure the wrong information has not been reported again.

The three national credit bureaus are:
Trans Union (www.transunion.com or 800-888-4213).
Equifax (www.credit.equifax.com or 800-685-1111).
Experian (www.experian.com or 888-397-3742).

Tell your insurance company. Do not wait until the credit bureau investigates the errors to contact your insurer. Tell your insurance company right away and ask if the errors will make a difference in your insurance. If the errors are big, tell your insurer that you are disputing the information and ask if they will wait to use your credit information until the errors are corrected. Small errors may not have much affect on your insurance credit score. If the errors are big, it can make a significant difference in your premium. Some companies are unable to adjust the premiums until the score is corrected, but it does not hurt to ask.

If you have taken the steps to improve your credit score, you should ask your insurance company to re-evaluate your credit score at renewal.

Car Insurance Discounts

Discounts Car Insurance

Trying to save money wherever you can is important to us all. Insurance should be no different. Do not assume that your agent knows everything about you and your vehicle. Car Insurance goes out of their way to find all the possible discounts that are available to each customer.

Drivers should take advantage of all discounts that many providers offer, that can significantly reduce the cost of car insurance. Understanding discounts and how they can affect auto insurance premiums can help smart shoppers make better decisions about their coverage and possibly save themselves some money in the process.

Read below to identify possible discounts that could help you save on auto insurance this year. Other than discounts, there may be some other ways for you to save on your insurance premiums. We will go over several discounts that can help with your current situation.

First, there are discounts for Auto Safety features. Certain states will give you discounts for anti-lock breaks. Make sure you know if it is two or four wheel anti-lock break vehicle. Automatic seat belts and airbags are frequently discounted on your insurance premiums. In most states, a defensive driver class discount may apply. If the principal driver usually 55 years old or older has completed an approved defensive driving class a discount could apply. Keep in mind that most states will only approve this class if it is voluntary meaning that it was not the result of a violation or infraction.

Some insurers will give you a discount for having multiple vehicles. In some cases, this will only apply if you have two or more drivers. If you have a clean driving record, meaning you do not have any tickets, accidents or suspensions in the last three years (some companies require five years) then you could be eligible for a safe driver's discount.

Many companies will reward you with staying with the same insurance company for many years without any accidents reported. They will offer you a renewal discount. It makes sense, you have carried insurance with a company for several years, and have not had an accident, your insurance company likes you and wants to reward and keep your business. Some companies honor you with a discount if you had prior limits on your previous policy. They discount you because they understand you are a better risk.

Conversely, if you do decided to change insurers a proof of prior insurance discount may apply. Most insurers request at least 6 months of consecutive insurance from the previous insurer. If you are a full-time student who meets certain grade requirements and are unmarried and usually under 25 years of age (some states the age is 21) you could be eligible for a good student discount. If you own a home, including condominium, town home, or mobile home, which is used as a principal residence, a discount could apply. Military personnel either currently active or retired from any branch of the US military a discount could apply. If your vehicle is equipped with an anti-theft device, a discount could apply.

You could lower the cost of your insurance in other ways.

For people who own older cars, it may not be necessary or cost-effective to protect them with collision and comprehensive coverage. By comparing the book value of your vehicle and the premium that the insurer has offered, you may find that it cost as much for the insurance as it does for the vehicle. If the car is worth less than $2,000, you will probably spend more insuring it than it is worth. The whole idea of driving an older car is to save money, so why not get what is coming to you.

In addition, keep in mind that the type of vehicle you buy could greatly affect your premium. A flashy red sports car is usually going to cost more to insure than a mid sized sedan. This is also true of vehicles that are on the list of most stolen. There are many ways that policyholders can save on their insurance. Knowing more about auto policies and premiums can help consumers take advantage of less obvious discounts while ensuring that they have the appropriate protection for their vehicles. The last way to save is to assume more risk. If you chose higher deductible on your Personal Injury Protection or Comprehensive and collision coverage will lower your premium as well. The deductible is the amount of money you have to pay before your insurance company begins paying the rest.

Understanding how discounts affect your insurance rates is important to save you money.

15 Ways to Lower Car Insurance Quote

Lower Your Car Insurance Quotes

1. Shop around

The difference in price between various companies can be significant. What one company may consider a high risk factor another company may not view as so important. Insurance companies arrive at a price for your car insurance by adding or discounting money after each answer you give to the questions they ask you. Each company has its own rules as to what they consider should increase or decrease your premium. By shopping around you get a better list of prices to compare.

2. Buy a lower group car

One of the important factors that insurance companies take into account is of course your vehicle. There are thousands of different cars on the road so companies divide them up into groups. Most companies will adopt the ABI (Association of British Insurers) group rating. This splits up vehicles into 20 different groups. Generally speaking the higher the group rating for your vehicle, the higher your premium will be. Some companies may also combine your driving experience with the vehicle group to get a better idea of how high the risk is. This is one of the reasons why young drivers should consider buying a lower group car if they want to lower their insurance cost.

3. Consider Third Party Only cover

A Third Party Only insurance policy is the minimum amount of cover legally required - it is also the cheapest. Generally speaking you should consider opting for this type of policy if your vehicle is of low value. In the unfortunate event of having an accident, any damage to a third party vehicle will be covered but any damage to your vehicle is not. However, if your vehicle is of little value then you may not be too concerned. It may not be worth paying extra for a Fully Comprehensive policy in these circumstances.

4. Maintain a good credit rating

More and more insurance companies are adopting credit scoring techniques as part of the overall calculation of your car insurance premium. By keeping a good credit history you may avoid any additional premium that companies add to your price for having a bad credit score.

5. Buy on the web

Many insurance providers now offer some good discounts for buying the policy over the internet. The theory is that by purchasing your insurance over the web, you are saving the company money by not requiring telesales agent time and incurring free-phone costs. This saving is passed on to you in the form of a discount for buying online. If you have got prices by telephone then check your quote again on their website, you may be surprised at how much cheaper it is.

6. Have a higher voluntary excess

During the quotation process you will be asked how much voluntary excess you want to have. Insurance companies will generally include a compulsory excess amount on the policy but give you the opportunity to increase this if you wish. The more the voluntary excess the lower your premium should be. However, in the event of a claim, you will have to pay a higher amount yourself, up to the total amount of excess on your policy.

7. Reduce your annual mileage

How many miles you do a year is a common question that can affect your car insurance premium. The more miles you do the more your premium is likely to be. Quotation systems and telephone agents will often suggest an amount of miles for you. Try and work out how many miles you will genuinely do. It may be less than the amount suggested. Of course, you should always give an honest answer to this and other questions.


8. Keep a clean driving record

This may be easier said than done. However, by having few or preferably no driving convictions, you can avoid being penalized by increases in your car insurance premium. Getting caught with a speeding fine is often not the only financial penalty you incur. Insurance companies take very seriously all driving convictions and it is usually an important part of their rating process. You can expect an increase in the cost of your insurance if you do get caught with a driving conviction, so it pays to be a safe driver.

9. Keep claim free

This ties in neatly with number 8 above. The biggest factor affecting the cost of your car insurance premium is how many No Claims Bonus Years you have. Full No Claims Bonus is generally considered by most companies to be five years or more, this can give you huge discounts, in some cases up to 75%. By being a safe driver and avoiding potential claims, you can continually benefit by building up your number of claim free years. Every additional No Claims Bonus year you get, the lower your car insurance cost should be. Some companies give you the option of paying a bit more on your premium to protect your No Claims Bonus.

10. Be realistic about the value of your car

Most of us have an inflated view as to what our car is worth. When asked the value of your vehicle during the insurance quotation process, people will often state an amount that is unrealistic and above the real value of the car. People do this as they believe that this is what they will get back from the insurance company in the event of a claim. The reality is that the company will only pay out what the car is worth at the time of the claim and not what you stated for the quote. In fact, by giving a high and unrealistic value, you can increase your car insurance premium as this is often a factor affecting your final price.

11. Remove unnecessary named drivers

Additional drivers on your policy usually mean a higher premium. A lot of people add a number of extra drivers on the policy just in case that person needs to drive the car. However, having all these drivers will push up the cost. By only naming drivers on the policy that will definitely driver the car, you can lower the final cost. If you find that an unnamed driver needs to drive the vehicle then most companies will allow you to temporarily add a new named driver for a small cost.

12. Improve your car security

Theft of and from your vehicle are important considerations when insurance companies calculate your price. Most companies will give you a discount for having better security of your vehicle. An alarm and immobilizer will usually attract a small discount whilst having a tracker device installed may give you a larger reduction. Some companies may insist on having such devices installed on more expensive and desirable cars before they even consider offering you a price.

13. Take an advanced driving test

Although not compulsory, taking an advanced driving test can not only improve your driving skills but also help to lower your car insurance premium. Some companies look favorably on people who have taken the advanced test as it shows commitment to safe driving thus lowering the chance of having a motoring accident.

14. Pay your premium in one go

By paying for your car insurance all in one go, you can avoid paying additional interest charges that would be added on if you opted to pay by installments. The interest charges can be quite significant, so if your finances allow, you can save a good amount of money by paying for the whole lot up front. In some cases, companies may even give you a small discount for doing this.

15. Get married

Okay so this may seem like a dramatic final way to lower your premium. However, a number of insurance companies offer lower premiums when your named drivers are insured and spouse as opposed to two unmarried drivers. Some companies believe that this shows an element of stability which is a hallmark of safer drivers and give you a discount on this basis.